Reel



J. R. DORMAN REEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec.. 26, 1968 INVENTOR /Mmz/Arme/v s United States Patent Or' 3,537,667 REEL Jack R. Dorman, 1071Celestial St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 Filed Dec. 26, 1968, Ser. No.786,939 Int. Cl. B65h 75/14 U.S. Cl. 242-118.8 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A reel adapted for receiving and paying out relatively lightfilament-like products comprising, in preferred form, (a) opposed sidewalls, each of the side Walls defining a centered eye having at leastthree sides and at least one slit substantially parallel to and spacedfrom the eyes periphery, (b) a core section having at least two integralcenter panels, the core section being formed into a core and positionedbetween the side walls, and (c) a hook integral with each of the centerpanels with successive hooks being attached to opposite sides of thecore section, each of the hooks being inserted through the slit in thathooks adjacent side wall and wrapped back into the eye of that sidewall.

This invention relates to reels and, more particularly, relates to anovel reel structure particularly adapted to receive and pay outrelatively light filament-like products.

A reel, as the term is most commonly known to those skilled in the art,can generally be characterized as a revolvable device on which aflexible filament-like product can be wound for storage or paid out fromfor use. A lament-like product, as that term is used for purposes ofthis application, includes such products as string, thread, yarn, twine,cord, rope, ribbon, tape, wire, cable, strip metal, hose, tubing, andthe like. Products such as rope, wire, cable, strip metal and hose maynormally be thought of as relatively heavy filament-like products. Onthe other hand, products such as string, thread, yarn, twine, cord,ribbon, tape, and tubing may normally be thought of as relatively lightlament-like products.

Generally speaking, a reel can be defined as a frame having a centercylindrical core or spool of which the product is wound. In combinationwith the core are provided flanges or side walls extending out from thecore ends to maintain the product wound thereon in the desired winduprelation relative to the core. The core generally is hollow so that acentral axle can be passed 4through it, thereby making the reelrelatively easily rotatable about the axle to wind up or pay out thefilament-like product as is desired by the user.

Reels, such as are known in the prior art, normally are fabricated ofmetal or wood and are relatively expensive to produce. In addition,reels commonly used in industry are normally adapted to receive manydifferent weight filament-type products from the relatively light to therelatively heavy, thereby increasing their initial cost because theymust be tailored to support the heavy products. For example, in metalreels the side walls of the reel are usually pressed or formed in aseparate step from the forming of the core, thereafter the core beingconnected by Welding or similar techniques to the side walls.

It has been one objective of this invention to provide a novel reelstructure that is particularly adapted for receiving and paying outrelatively lightweight lament-like products and that can be fabricatedof cardboard, corrugated board, or other relatively lightweightmaterials without adhesives or other separate fastening means beingrequired.

The reel of this invention provides the desired objective by comprisingin preferred form, (a) opposed side walls, each of the side Wallsdefining a centered eye having at hee least three sides and at least oneslit substantially parallel to and spaced from the eyes periphery, (b) acore section having at least two integral panels, the core section beingformed into a core and positioned between the side Walls, and (c) a hookintegral each of the center panels with successive hooks being attachedto opposite sides of the core section, each of the hooks being insertedthrough the slit in that hooks adjacent side wall and wrapped back intothe eye of that side wall.

Other objectives and advantages will be more apparent from the followingdetailed description taken in conjunction with the figures in Which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, partially disassembled view of the novel reelstructure of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view illustrating the integral, coreforming panels;

FIG. 3 is a detailed, broken away side view of the reel particularlyillustrating the bearing surfaces provided for an axle;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken through lines 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a series of the reels inoperating position on an axle.

As is particularly illustrated in FIG. 1, the novel reel structure ofthis invention includes two opposed flat side walls 10 with a centercore 11 disposed between and interconnectig them. In the preferredembodiment each side wall 10 is substantially circular in shape and isprovided with a triangularly-shaped eye 12 conligured about the centerpoint of the side wall. Slits 14 are spaced radially outward from theperiphery 13 of the eye 12 and preferably each side 15 of the eye 12 isprovided with a mating slit 14. Each slit 14 is positioned substantiallyparallel to its associated eye side 15 and is of a length substantiallyequal to the length of that eye side. Thus, the slits 14 are disposedabout the periphery of the eye 12.

The center core 11 is formed from a flat core section 18 made up of aseries of iiat center panels 19 integral with one another and separatedfrom one another by score lines 20, see FIG. 2. The center panels 19 arepreferably offset in a staggered or zig-zag relation relative one to theother a distance, as at 21, approximately equal to the thickness of thereels side Walls 10. Preferably, the offsets 21 are all substantiallyequal one to the other. Thus, alternate panels 19 are offset relative tothe center line 22 in the same direction and in an equal amount.

A hook 25 is provided for each center panel 19 by which one end of thatcenter panel is connected to a side wall 10. The hooks 25 are preferablyof a thickness equal to the thickness of the slits 14. The hooks 25function not only to interconnect the side walls 10 with the core 11formed by the center panels 19, thereby forming the reel, but also topartially dene the bearing surfaces 26 for an axle 27 when an axle isprovided for cooperation with the reel.

Each hook 25, as is illustrated in FIG. 2, is integral with andpreferably mounted to the protruding end 28 of its associated centerpanel, that is, that end 28 of a center panel that extends beyond therecessed ends 29 of its adjacent center panels. Thus, the hooks 25 arealso provided in a staggered or zig-zag relation on adjacent panelsrelative to the core sections center line 22. Successive hooks 25 onadjacent panels 19 are attached to opposite ends of the panels. Eachhook 25 includes a llat outside tab 32 and a flat return tab 33, thetabs being integral with one another and the outside tab being integralwith the associated center panel 19. The tabs 32, 33 are separated onefrom the other and the outside tab 32 is separated from its associatedcenter panel 19 by score lines 34.

Preferably one end 28 or 29 of one center panel 19 is provided with anotch 35 at one corner thereof so as to provide a suitable lock forholding the inner end of the filament-like product to be wound on theformed reel. The notch 35 may be provided with a series of slits 36extending from the edge of the notch to accommodate larger diameterproducts than might be accommodated by the opening defined by the notchitself when the core 11 is assembled with the side walls 10.

In assembling the at core section 18 of six panels 19 with the flat sidewalls into a single reel, the hooks 25 on one side of the core sectionare first inserted from the inside surface of the associated side wall10 through their related slits 14 until the ends 29 of the adjacentcenter panels that do not carry hooks abut the side wall, see FIG. 1.When all three hooks are inserted through the slits in the side wall 10,each hooks outside tab 32 is folded relative to the side wall 10 towardthe eye 12 in the wall and the return tab 33 then folded relative to theoutside tab and inserted back into the side walls eye. Each hook 25,then, is essentially wrapped around the bridge 37 linking the side 15 ofthe triangular eye 12 with the slit 14 by inserting the tabs 32, 33through the slit 14, folding the tab 32 onto the bridge 37, andinserting the return tab 33 into the eye 12 back toward the center ofthe reels core 11. The same procedure is followed for attaching theopposite side wall 10 to the core 11. Thus, as can be seen in FIG. 4,the core 11 is fabricated from a series of center panels 19 each ofwhich provides a hook 25 that essentially wraps around the outside of aside wall 10 and returns through the eye 12 of the side wall.

The side walls 10 and core section 18 are configured, as illustrated inthis preferred embodiment, so that the triangular eyes 12 in the sidewalls are disposed at 60 relative one to the other when the reel isfinally assembled, see FIGS. 3 and 4. The return tabs 33 of each eye 12in the assembled reel provide and dene bearing surfaces 26 in the natureof a cradle so that an axle 37 received through the core 11 will bemaintained at the center relative to the triangular-shaped hole at eachend of the core 11 and, therefore, at the center of the reel, to provideproper balance for the reel during operation. Because the triangulareyes 12 are offset at 60 relative one to the other when the preferredembodiment of the reel is assembled, there are really six bearingsurfaces 26 provided to define the cradles within which the axle turns,thereby more closely proximating a cylindrical bearing sleeve for thecylindrical axle, see FIG. 3. Thus, the hooks 25 of the core sectionscenter panels 19 cooperate with the side walls 10 to not only hold thecore section in operating relation relative to the side walls but alsoto define the bearing surfaces 26 for an axle 37 received through thecore 11 and eyes 12. This maximizes the service life for the reelparticularly when it is fabricated of, for example, corrugatedcardboard. As is illustrated in FIG. 5, a series of such reels may beprovided on a single axle that is supported by suitable legs 39 forpaying out or winding up filament-like products 41.

It is preferred that the novel reel structure of this invention befabricated of corrugated cardboard for the simple reason that this is alightweight, relatively inexpensive material and the reel structure ofthis invention is particularly adapted for manufacture from such astructural material because that material can be relatively easilyfolded along score lines. The reel structure of this invention, iffabricated from a corrugated cardboard, is particularly useful forwinding up and paying out lightweight hose or tubing 41 and otherrelatively lightweight filament-like products.

Having completely described my invention, what I desire to claim byLetters Patent is:

1. A reel adapted for receiving and paying out filament-like productscomprising opposed side walls, each of said side walls defining acentered eye having at least three sides and at least one slit spacedfrom the eyes periphery,

a core section having at least two integral center panels,

said core section being formed into a core and positioned between saidside walls, and

a hook integral with each of at least two of said center panels withsaid hooks being attached to opposite sides of said core section, eachof said hooks being inserted through the slit in that hooks adjacentside wall and being wrapped back into the eye of that side wall tointerconnect said core section with said side walls and to definebearing surfaces for an axle that may be positioned in operatingrelation with said reel.

2. A reel as set forth in claim 1 wherein said center panels are offsetin a zig-zag relation relative one to the other a distance approximatelyequal to the thickness of a side wall, and wherein each hook includes anoutside tab and a return tab, said outside tabs being integral with theprotruding end of their respective center panels, thereby permittingsuccessive hooks on said core section to be attached to opposite ends ofsuccessive panels.

3. A reel as set forth in claim 2 wherein, for each of said side walls,the slit is positioned substantially parallel to one side of said eye,the width of each hook is substantially equal to the length of itsrelated slit, and the thickness of each hook is substantially equal tothe thickness of its related slit.

4. A reel as set forth in claim 3 wherein said core section is comprisedof six panels, each of said eyes is triangular, and each of said eyes isprovided with three slits about its periphery of a length approximatelyequal to the length of its associated eye side.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS GEORGE F. MAUTZ, Primary Examiner

